2010-01-07 14:12:39 - Power Outage - United Kingdom EDIS CODE: PW-20100107-24465-GBR
Date & Time: 2010-01-07 14:12:39 [UTC]
Area: United Kingdom, England, Hampshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, Damage level: Moderate (Level 2)
Affected person(s): 4000
Not confirmed information! Description: About 4,000 homes in southern England were without power on Thursday as snow and ice caused major disruption to electricity supplies. The worst affected area was around Petersfield in Hampshire, but problems were being experienced across the county as well as Surrey, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. A spokesman for Southern Electric said the number of properties affected had improved from the 20,000 experiencing power cuts on Wednesday morning. The company had brought in 100 extra staff in advance of the snowfall as well as drafted in additional 4x4 vehicles, he said, but access to rural areas had proved difficult. “As well as carrying out repairs, our engineers have been helping stranded motorists, so they have been working flat out to help people and to restore power.’’ Restrictions on Britain’s largest rock salt mine could be lifted to allow increased deliveries from the facility, as councils struggle to grit roads during a cold spell forecast to last at least another week. The move by Cheshire West and Chester Council came as the Met Office predicted that the main weather-related transport problem in coming days would be ice, as snowfalls reduced but temperatures plunged. Transport was again severely disrupted on Thursday and commuters endured another morning of hazardous journeys to work, with roads rendered treacherous by icy conditions and rail services badly disrupted. There were problems for air travellers too, with British Airways and easyJet among the airlines having to cancel flights. BA axed flights at Gatwick and Heathrow, while easyJet cancelled around 70 flights at Gatwick. All the major airports were open, but passengers experienced delays and cancellations.
Nearly all the train companies reported disrupted services, with commuters suffering not only a reduction in frequency on some routes but problems causd by broken-down trains. Cheshire West and Chester council said it would be prepared to relax rules preventing trucks moving in or out of Winsford salt mine between 10pm and 6am. Lifting the restrictions could help to improve supplies of gritting salt, which at many councils are running low after in some cases 21 days of continuous gritting. Mike Jones, the council’s leader, said Winsford mine, part of US-based Compass Minerals, was working around the clock, but truck movements were limited because the vehicles had to pass residential property. “In the current emergency, we have advised the company that we would certainly look favourably on any request they make to temporarily lengthen the hours for lorry movements,” Cllr Jones said. “I am sure local residents will understand the reason for this decision in such difficult times.” Councils have been struggling to meet the demand for road gritting during the cold snap because it has gone on so long. The Local Government Association said its members had spread 200,000 tonnes of salt on their roads in England and that in one council – Telford and Wrekin – gritters had been out each of the last 21 days.
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